2010-11: Kucherov spent most of the season with the CSKA Krasnaja Armija Moskva in the MHL, scoring 25 goals and adding 28 assists for 53 points in 35 games. Kucherov also appeared in 8 KHL games for CSKA Moskva, picking up 2 assists. Kucherov played for Russia at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge, scoring 2 goals and adding 5 assists for 7 points in 4 games. He also represented Russia at the 2011 U-18 World Junior Championship, scoring 11 goals and adding 10 assists for 21 points in 7 games. His goal total was the best in that tournament, as was his point total. Kucherov was named the Best Forward of the U-18 WJC.

2011-12: Kucherov appeared in 18 KHL games with CSKA Moscow and represented Russia at the 2012 U20 World Junior Championship in addition to skating for the CSKA-Red Army U22 team. He had 1 goal with 4 assists and was minus-one with four penalty minutes in KHL play. Skating for the silver-medal winning Russian squad at the WJC, he scored 2 goals with 5 assists and was plus-four with 2 penalty minutes in seven games. Kucherov had 43 points in 23 MHL games for CSKA-Red Army. He scored 24 goals with 19 assists and was plus-16 with 40 penalty minutes. In seven playoff games he scored 3 goals with 1 assist and was minus-three. Kucherov was selected in the first round (43rd overall) of the 2012 CHL Import Draft by the Quebec Remparts.

2012-13: Kucherov signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Tampa Bay in September of 2012 and played in the QMJHL in his first season in North America. He was the leading scorer for Russia at the 2013 World Junior Championship. Kucherov began the year with Quebec but was a healthy scratch at times due to the league’s import limit. He scored 3 goals with 7 assists in six games before being traded to Rouyn-Noranda in November. Kucharov scored 26 goals with 27 assists in 27 regular season games for the Huskies and was +18 with 12 penalty minutes. Rouyn-Noranda finished second in the West Division and reached the playoff semifinals. Kucherov scored 9 goals with 15 assists in 14 playoff games and was +8 with 10 penalty minutes. In seven games at the WJC he scored 5 goals with 3 assists and was +4 with 4 penalty minutes. Russia defeated Canada 6-5 in overtime in the bronze medal game.

Talent Analysis

An exciting player with an immense talent, Kucherov is a game breaker and a natural goal-scorer who can score with ease thanks to his excellent one-timer and wrist shot. He likes to go top shelf and is pretty effective in doing so. Mainly an offensive player, Kucherov needs to work on his defensive play and add some meat. He has very good hockey sense and is very difficult to contain due to his skills and skating.

Future

Kucherov has begun his pro career playing for the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL in 2013-14.

Photo: Forward Alex Killorn is one of several young players to make the Lightning’s NHL roster out of training camp. (courtesy of Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

With the compliance buyout of long time captain Vincent Lecavalier this off-season, the Tampa Bay Lightning seemed to send a message to everyone that the rebuild was in full swing. The Lightning went into training camp with around five to six spots up for grabs for young players, and many on the Top-20 came away with spots for the opening night roster.

Photo: Defenseman Slater Koekkoek was one of two selections the Tampa Bay Lightning made in the first round of the 2011 NHL Draft. (courtesy of CHL Images)

The Tampa Bay Lightning failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season and Head Coach Guy Boucher was eventually relieved of his duties and replaced by Jon Cooper, the coach of the Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. Goaltending and defense proved once again to be the team weakness, as they dropped to 14th in the East, and locked up the third overall pick in this June's draft.

Photo: Nikita Kucherov, always a productive member of Team Russia in international competition, finally showed that scoring touch in the QMJHL after being traded to Rouyn-Noranda. (courtesy of Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

Welcome to the final 2012-13 edition of On the Rush, a monthly column featuring prospects at various competition levels who are either exceeding expectations or falling a little behind. With many leagues around the world approaching their finals or already finished, we take a look at some of the prospects who stood out over the course of the season. While some players proved to be farther along than initially expected, there are also those prospects who did not develop as planned in 2012-13.